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What's the joke in the title "Mice"?

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Alejandro Pareja

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Aug 6, 2003, 1:18:11 AM8/6/03
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In the first chapter of "Keep the Aspidistra Flying", Gordon Comstock is
thinking about his published book of poems, "Mice":

""Mice", by Gordon Comstock; a sneaky little foolscap octavo, price three
and sixpence but now reduced to a bob. Of the thirteen B.F. who had reviewed
it (and the Times Lit. Supp. had declared that it showed 'exceptional
promise') not one had seen the none too subtle joke of that title."

I've reading Orwell and about Orwell for 30 years and I must say that this
is one of the most obscure passages that I've found in his works. Well,
after all English is only my second language (if a close second). All help
will be welcome!

(btw, I KNOW that B.F means "bloody fools".)

Thanks in advance and regards.

Alejandro Pareja
Spain

Martha Bridegam

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Aug 6, 2003, 1:46:44 AM8/6/03
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Alejandro Pareja wrote:

My dear sir, you have come to the right place. In fact, as far as we know, the
only place where you can find the "mice" joke explained. See
<http://groups.google.com/groups?selm=fSi%2BRVAb1CP4Ewj%24%40devesons.demon.co.uk>
and generally
<http://groups.google.com/groups?hl=en&lr=&ie=ISO-8859-1&q=alt.books.george-orwell+mice+horace>.

c/o M

John Rennie

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Aug 6, 2003, 4:04:24 AM8/6/03
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"Martha Bridegam" <ma...@pacbell.net> wrote in message
news:3F309643...@pacbell.net...


No wonder KTAF didn't have have that many sales. Even in the supposedly
more literate age it was published the allusion must have been lost on most
readers.


Alejandro Pareja

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Aug 6, 2003, 4:15:14 AM8/6/03
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>
>
> My dear sir, you have come to the right place. In fact, as far as we know,
the
> only place where you can find the "mice" joke explained. See
>
<http://groups.google.com/groups?selm=fSi%2BRVAb1CP4Ewj%24%40devesons.demon.
co.uk>
> and generally
>
<http://groups.google.com/groups?hl=en&lr=&ie=ISO-8859-1&q=alt.books.george-
orwell+mice+horace>.
>
> c/o M


Parturient montes! I should have thought of that. Well, it IS a little bit
subtle. Thanks very much indeed, Martha.

Regards
Alejandro Pareja


Alan Allport

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Aug 6, 2003, 10:51:20 AM8/6/03
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"Martha Bridegam" <ma...@pacbell.net> wrote in message
news:3F309643...@pacbell.net...

> My dear sir, you have come to the right place. In fact, as far as we know,


the
> only place where you can find the "mice" joke explained.

ABGO - the forum that cracked the mice joke. It's good to think that the
last four years or so weren't a total waste of time ...

Alan.


Martha Bridegam

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Aug 6, 2003, 12:00:27 PM8/6/03
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Alan Allport wrote:

More than five, I'm afraid.

/M

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